Newcastle won’t break their wage structure to sign big-money stars like Declan Rice and Mason Mount

Newcastle United will not shatter their wage structure in pursuit of stars like Declan Rice and Mason Mount, even if they qualify for the Champions League.

Mail Sport understands that an enquiry has been made for Chelsea midfielder Mount but that the numbers involved are prohibitive because of Financial Fair Play and a will to protect their current salary model, which sees top earners such as Bruno Guimaraes command around £120,000 per week before bonuses.

An asking price of £80million and weekly wages of at least £250,000 have been quoted for Mount. There is also a definite interest in West Ham’s Rice, but the figures are similar to those of his England team-mate. We have been told that would make a Newcastle move ‘unrealistic’ at this stage, especially as the latest set of accounts showed an unsustainable wages-to-turnover ratio of 95 per cent.

Sources do say there will be a ‘huge’ increase in the club’s transfer budget if they secure Champions League football and they recognise the need to invest that money in the squad. That would make for an exciting summer on Tyneside.

The problem, however, is that the extra revenue cannot be committed to vastly inflated wages over a long period at the risk of spending only one season in Europe’s premier competition. Senior figures are also mindful of the knock-on effect that doubling the top wage would have on others in the dressing-room.

Mason Mount (left) and Declan Rice (right) have been linked with a move to the club but their high wages mean the likelihood of any potential transfer is unlikely

While head coach Eddie Howe – as…